Get Prepared

Winter Safety

8 simple cold weather safety tips that can keep you and your home safe.

Make sure all appliances and heating equipment, such as a furnace, water heater or stove, are inspected and operating properly, and operate all pieces of equipment according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Never use stoves, ovens or outdoor grills as a source of heat.

Provide adequate ventilation when using fireplaces or unvented space heaters.

If you are using a fireplace, use a glass or metal fire screen large enough to catch sparks and rolling logs.

If you are using a space heater, place it on a level, hard surface and keep anything flammable at least three feet away from things such as paper, clothing, bedding, curtains or rugs.

Turn off space heaters and make sure fireplace embers are out before leaving the room or going to bed. Using secondary heating sources, such as space heaters, can increase the chance of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Protect your pipes - run water, even at a trickle, to help prevent your pipes from freezing. Open the kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Keep the garage doors closed if there are water lines in the garage. **Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals out of the reach of children.

What To Do If You Smell Natural Gas

If you smell natural gas in your home, evacuate immediately. Do not operate anything that could cause a spark including lights, cell phones, flashlights and appliances. From a safe location, call our emergency number at 1-800-544-5606 or 911.